Newsletter January February March 2015

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He likes writing and drawing funny books, such as the Caldecott ... In his Knuffle Bunny series, delightful stories about life as a young child in the city are told.
January, February, March 2015

Early Childhood News Newsletter Format Responds to Provider Needs Special points of interest:  Let’s Move! Child Care (page 3)  Art for the Experience (page 4)  New Curriculum Column (page 5)  Snowman recipe (page 6)

Inside this issue: Director’s Letter

2

SACCN Training & News

3

Infant/Toddler Tips

4

EcoHealthy Child Care & Curriculum Column

5

CACFP Nutrition News

6

EC Scene

7

Winter Safety

8

The Child Care Network’s 2014 Provider Needs Survey included a section on the newsletter. In answer to the suggestions from respondents, some changes have been included in this newsletter, the first issue of 2015. There will be a regular column on curriculum ideas and other suggestions will be incorporated throughout the year. Let the new year start with a children’s book, author study.

Mo Willems

From his website one can learn a short biography, “Mo Willems makes funny drawings that hopefully will make you laugh.” He likes writing and drawing funny books, such as the Caldecott Honor Books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! , Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity. He also had fun creating favorites like Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, the Cat the Cat series, and the Elephant and Piggie series, which won two Geisel Medals. Before making books, Mo wrote and animated for Sesame Street, where he won six Emmy Awards and made lots of friends.  In his Knuffle Bunny series, delightful stories about life as a young child in the city are told. They are illustrated with photographs as the background and Mo’s classic drawings of his characters Trixie, the child and Knuffle Bunny, the stuffed bunny along with family and friends. Suitable for preschoolers and up.  Board books comprise his Cat the Cat series. What appear to be simple drawings of Cat the Cat show depth of expression in the eyes and the stature of the body. Each story answers a question of “who?” as Cat the Cat moves from book to book. Best for preschoolers.  In addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of “Easy Readers”. These charming yet funny books feature two characters, Piggie the optimist and Elephant the pessimist as they encounter the stuff of kids’ lives. Nice for older preschoolers and young school agers. Favorites for both children and adults, Mo Willems books are fun to read and fun to hear and see. Take a trip to the nearest library and borrow some of the pleasures of Mo Willems books to enjoy with children of all ages. They are the kind of books that make kids ask for more! www.gomo.net – Website featuring picture book and board book list, fun and games, grown-up’s page (Mo Willems’ biography, classroom activities and event kits for specific books, common core teaching guide) and videos www.Pigeonpresents.com – Website featuring fun activities, book lists, information about Mo Willems’ characters, grown up stuff (get to know Mo, videos, teachers’ guides and event kits) www.mowillems.com – Website featuring Mo’s blog, FAQs, merchandise, and tweets.

CCDBG Signed into Law Flanked by Senators and Representatives from both sides of the aisle, President Obama signed S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 into law. After 18 years without any Congressional action, the CCDBG was finally reauthorized and revised to include general provisions to improve the quality of child care nationwide. S.1086 includes measures to:  Promote quality child care by increasing state-level investments in activities to improve the quality of care, enhancing states’ ability to train providers and develop safer and more effective child care services.  Strengthen health and safety requirements in child care programs and providers.  Improve access to child care by expanding eligibility for participating families and helping families connect with quality programs that meet their needs.

Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

From the Director’s Desk

The Child Care Network’s mission: “To strengthen the quality of children’s early care and learning.”

Every time I sit down to write this piece for the newsletter, I wonder what I can say to people who work so hard and give their heart and soul to children every day. I sit behind my desk, removed from the hands-on day to day work in the field of early childhood. I am rarely out in the field. My job is to make sure that we have the necessary funds and tools to help improve the quality and availability of child care in our area. I am always gratified when we receive a note or a phone call from a child care provider who has benefited from the services offered by the Child Care Network. It is the reminder of why I do what I do every day. I decided to end 2014 by sharing some of those notes we have received over the past year. “I truly cannot thank you enough for granting me a scholarship

to the conference. I gained SO much from the workshops: new strategies and that all my dedication to high quality child care …have been in the right direction.” “If I had a question somebody in your office had the answer… the trainings you provided over the past 20 years are invaluable and of course the CACFP program taught me a lot as well.” My hope is that when you read them and this newsletter, that you will be reminded of all the services that we offer and that you give us a call and take advantage of what is here for you. All of us at the Child Care Network come to work each day because of the work that the local child care providers do every day. We are proud to be able to partner with you to provide quality early childhood edu-

cation. In the coming months we will be meeting with our legislators to discuss early childhood education and how important it is to working families and businesses. To learn more as the 2015 Legislative season gets under way, check our website (www.saccn.org) or contact Liz Mahon Laidlaw ([email protected]) to sign up for our public policy e-list. I hope you find this newsletter filled with lots of helpful information to help you do your jobs. We will continue to strive to improve it and all that we do in 2015.

Lynn Sickles,

Executive Director

Welcome New Child Care Programs! Warren County Rebecca Andre, Kids First Child Care Cassandra O’Donnell, Peas in a Pod Daycare Washington County Amy Horton Priscilla Constantine Hamilton County No new programs this quarter. Northern Saratoga County No new programs this quarter.

Thinking of doing family child care? There are many benefits of offering care in one’s own home, but starting a new child care program takes careful consideration of the pros and cons involved in the important decision to open a new business. Find out how to get started. Contact Sue K at 798-7972 ext 205 or [email protected] with questions about starting a program in your home. Programs are especially needed in Whitehall and Lake Luzerne.

SACCN Calendar of Events

SACCN Office Closings January 1 & 2 January 19 February 16 Office hours, open MondayFriday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM January, February, March 2015

January Let’s Move! Child Care: Tuesday, January 6, 6-8PM in Greenwich CDA Classes: Tuesdays, January 13, 20, 27, 6:30-9:00 PM

February Health & Safety: Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 3 & 5, 10 & 12, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM Let’s Move! Child Care: Tuesday, February 3, Fort Edward, 68 PM CDA Classes: Tuesdays, February 10, 17, 24, 6:30-9:00 PM

March Let’s Move! Child Care: Tuesday, March 3, 6-8 PM in Warrensburg CDA Classes: Tuesdays, March 10, 17, 24, 31, 6:30-9:00 PM Guest Lecture Series: Tuesdays, March 10, 17, 24, 31, 6:30-9:00 PM Responsive Resilience: Wednesday, March 4, 6:30-8:30 PM Page 2

Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

SACCN Training & News Quarterly Workshops (OCFS training category 1,2,3) Let’s Move! Child Care is a national initiative in keeping with the spirit of NYS child care regulations to help keep children healthy and active. It has five goals that will be discussed along with strategies to meet them through fun play and mealtimes. Come to this program to encourage physical activity, limit screen time, serve healthier foods, offer more water, and support parent choices on infant feeding. Be prepared to move and groove.

Tuesday, January 6 in Greenwich Tuesday, February 3 in Fort Edward Tuesday, March 3 in Warrensburg Classes meet from 6:00-8:00 PM Please contact Sue by phone or email to enroll for this free program. [email protected] or 7987972 ext 205 * This workshop can also be applied toward CACFP training requirements.

1st Tues X

CDA Classes Congratulations to the eleven participants who have successfully completed their first 30 hours of CDA training in 2014. The next step is to continue with Part 2, or 60 hours of CDA training in 2015.

Upon completion of 120 hours of training, participants will then complete a resource file, experience an on-site review, and pass a test as part of the final assessment process before earning their CDA Credential.

This prestigious credential is awarded only to those who successfully complete the whole process which evaluates the competency of those who do the important work of early childhood.

Health and Safety Training (OCFS training categories 2 & 4-9) Health & Safety training is scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays , February 3 & 5, 10 & 12 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. This course is required for anyone wishing to open a family or group family child care program. It is also open to anyone who seeks a refresher.

The 15 hour series covers children’s health, indoor and outdoor safety, infection control, enrollment procedures, special infant issues, child abuse, food safety in preparation and meal service, and more. Cost for this program is $250, partially reimbursable after re-

ceipt of child care license or registration from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Current providers or assistants can apply for EIP funds to help with the cost of training. Please contact Pam or Sue K at 7987972 if interested in attending.

Spring Guest Lecture Series 2015 (All 9 OCFS training categories) Plans are underway for the 15hour Guest Lecture Series which will be held on six consecutive Tuesday evenings, March 10-April 14. These classes meet all 9 OCFS topic areas as they are presented by guest speakers who are passionate about their area of expertise. Come join colleagues for one of

the most popular training events offered through the Child Care Network. Hear and try new ideas on enhancing the quality of care for children as well as ways to make a difference. Meet with colleagues and friends, share thoughts and practices, and ful-

fill training requirements all at the same time. With funds available, this program can be offered at lower prices than the last several years, since 2007. Just $200 for SACCN members, $225 for non-members. Brochures will be mailed in early February.

Videoconference Training (OCFS Topics vary) Dates have been proposed for statewide videoconferences in 2015. Six programs are in the planning stages, but topics have not been posted. None are scheduled for this quarter. Look for the first videoconference to take place in April. January, February, March 2015

Did you know???? Funding is available to help child care providers obtain professional development and education, to help offset the cost of training. Many providers do not realize that they are eligible to apply for EIP, or Educational Incentive Program scholarships. For example, a provider from a family of 4, with a household income of $50,629 is eligible for a voucher of 100% of the training cost. Or at $75,943, a voucher would cover $75%. Visit www.http:// ecetp.pdp.albany.edu/ eip.shtm Page 3

Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

Save the Date: Early Childhood Conference 2015 Mark the new calendar for Friday and Saturday, November 6 & 7, 2015. Due to a great conference, it was decided to hold next year’s program at the same venue, Fort William Henry. Some of the presenters at the 2014 conference have already set aside the dates to join the early childhood community in 2015. Jeanine Fitzgerald,

owner of the Fitzgerald Institute of Lifelong Learning will be back. So will Infant and Toddler specialist Sarah Gould-Houde who will share her experiences with broadening the Freedom of Movement Campaign. To learn more about the Freedom of Movement Campaign or to get the latest checklist, please contact Sarah Gould at [email protected]. Be one of the first in the area to be awarded the Freedom of Movement Endorsement for the benefit of babies in care.

Art for the Experience

Art belongs where children are.

Toddlers are learning and growing every day. Teachers have the privilege of helping to inspire them to explore as much of their environment with as many of their senses as possible. When caregivers encourage young children to bravely approach new experiences, children use these skills for the rest of their lives. Toddlers love art. Spaces where toddlers live often resemble caveman dwellings with stories told on the walls at children’s level. They are naturally drawn to using their hands while exploring cause and effect. When supplied freely with developmentally appropriate materials, toddlers reveal volumes of what they feel, what they have learned, and what they are curious about. When teachers plan for art activities they should ask themselves, “What skills are the children going to build while exploring these materials?” What should be least important is the finished project. When planning art activities, the following guide can be useful to keep caregivers on track by providing developmentally appropriate experiences for children. While planning:  Provide children with safe materials that meet their developmental needs.  Provide children with materials that are meaningful to them.  Set goals and objectives for individual children. For example, one child may need to work on holding a crayon while another is

working on drawing a person. Providers may meet both of their needs by supplying them with crayons and blank white paper to draw on.  Be sure that children’s interests and abilities are the focus. Child focused and developmentally appropriate art activities/projects:  Are open-ended. There is not a right or wrong way for the product to look. There should not be a finished product or model that children should be producing. If the goal is to have children represent what to them is a tree, when they are finished each piece should look unique and not alike.  Should include minimal teacher preparation, such as cutting out shapes and pieces for the children to put together.  To draw children into the art area and avoid having a finished product in mind, caregivers can provide a wide variety of developmentally appropriate materials that appeal to all kinds of learners. A tree can be formed using paper and crayons, playdoh, glue and wood pieces or cardboard tubes or pipe cleaners.  Have the process of making the art as the main emphasis, not the product.  Encourage children to explore materials without needing adult help.

Responsive Resilience Workshop Sarah Gould-Houde, Region 4 Infant and Toddler Specialist will present “Responsive Resilience” on Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30-8:30 in Fort Edward. Analyze aspects of the Devereux Early Childhood social and emotional tools and techniques used to help infants and toddlers become resilient adults. Explore caregiving practices, infant and toddler behaviors and materials that can be used to build strengths. Make a Felt Flip toy to bring to your children the very next day! January, February, March 2015

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Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

Cornell Cooperative Extension Survey Although pests and pest management are a tiny part of what providers think about each day in a child care business, when pest activity occurs (such as ants in food, mouse droppings in toy bins, head lice on children, or a wasp sting), pests can become the #1 top priority of the day. Cornell Cooperative Extension wants to offer the best information about how to prevent or handle these issues while also protecting the health and safety of children and staff, assuring parents, and avoiding legal and financial liability for the business. A postcard was sent

to all child care centers asking them to complete a 10 minute survey to help Cornell plan for new programs and materials that in turn will help providers deal with the issues and situations at the top of their mustsolve list. Participants will be entered into a drawing for one of many free on-site trainings by a Cornell University pestmanagement expert. Survey answers will also help Cooperative Extension develop classroom training on pest management which will be offered at no charge to all.

EcoHealthy: Pesticides Visit ecohealthychildcare.org to download a factsheet which shares health concerns and the effects of pesticides on children’s development. It also offers integrated pest management strategies, a safer way to eliminate pest problems. Did you know that… Research indicates that pesticide levels found in indoor air are often higher than those found in outdoor air. Even a small amount of pesticide can take a toll on a young child’s development.

Providing a Print Rich Environment Means…. A print rich environment gives children many opportunities throughout the day to experience written language in everyday activities. Providing a print rich environment follows NYS Early Learning Guidelines for Domain V: Language, Communication and Literacy in areas “L”: Print Concepts; “M”: Comprehension of Printed Material and “N”: Awareness that Written Material Can Be Used for a Variety of Purposes. Here are some things to try…… 1) When making recipes that you have memorized (like playdoh or cookies) consider that the children would benefit from seeing the recipe in writing and watching you read the recipe as you go along. It will only take a few more minutes, but will provide that child a lifetime of experiential learning. 2) Take the time to place labels around the play area so that children begin to understand that words stand for things. For optimum benefit, make the letters approximately 2” tall and use upper and lower case letters appropriately. For instance when writing the child’s name always use upper case for the first letter and lower case for the remaining letters. When labeling the window use all lower case. Label a number of items that children see and use throughout the day like

January, February, March 2015

refrigerator (what a fun, long word that is… and fun to say and spell!) Remember to place them at child’s eye level. Do just a few at first and add a few more each week. Watch how the children start noticing when a new word appears. This peaks their interest and soon you find them asking how to spell many words. 3) Add words written on scrap paper or 3x5 cards to the materials you put out for writing. They can fall in line with a theme or holiday or just be things the children always talk about or make pictures of. It’s a sure bet that some little ones would learn Elsa, Anna and Olaf pretty quickly if those words were put on the table with the markers, crayons and paper! How about adding the words -- I, love, Frozen, snowman, ice, etc. These ideas are play based, developmentally appropriate ways for young children to develop the readiness skills that everyone is talking about. Allowing each child to progress at his/her own pace and discover the meaning of printed language in his/her own way, assures that you have done your part in “getting kids ready” for formal education! For help with this or any other topic, please give us a call at 798-7972. Ask for Sue or Pam.

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Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

Contact us at 798-7972 or www.saccn.org Colleen Maziejka ext. 202, Linda Scimeca ext.203 Nutrition Educators/Home Visitors

Play With Your Food! Find creative ways to involve your children in their own meal preparation. Give individual portion sized servings of healthy components to meet the meal requirements, and let the kids create their own masterpiece! For breakfast make snowmen bagels! Give each child a half of a bagel, a serving size of cream cheese, and a popsicle stick for spreading. You may have to

help younger children with this. Next offer serving size portions of fruits and veggies cut into bite size pieces to prevent choking. It is a great time to try new veggies or fruits. Instruct the children to use these to create faces on their snowman! The kids will have a blast making and eating their snowmen! Serve with a glass of fruit juice and you have just served a nutritious and deliciously fun breakfast!

CACFP Workshop Plans

Attention!!! You may now email your claims into the office at the end of each month! If you are interested in saving some postage or gas money, feel free to now email us at [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation from us when we have your claim. If you do not hear from us, it means that we did not receive your email. Please contact us with any questions. Colleen or Linda 798-7972.

We are now planning CACFP Food Program trainings for 2015! We have some ideas of our own, but would love to hear from you. If you have any ideas please call (798-7972) or email us ([email protected]). Note that the “Let’s Move! Child Care” workshop listed on page 3 can also count as a Food Program training.

Reprinted with permission from Potpourri magazine January, February, March 2015

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Early Childhood News

Southern Adirondack Child Care Network

The Early Childhood Scene New Day Care Center Regulations Approved The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has announced that its review of public comment on the day care center, school age child care and small day care center regulations is complete. The new regulations were adopted on November 19, 2014 and are effective on June 1, 2015. This six month lag period was built into the process so that programs have time to review the changes and come into compliance by June 1, 2015. OCFS has posted to its website the new regulations, the assessment of public comment, a summary of the assessment and a summary of sub-

stance. Programs can become familiar with the new regulations and regularly check the website for opportunities for training. New regulations can be accessed online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/ childcare/default.asp. To order a printed copy, call the Forms Warehouse at (518) 473-0971. Child care programs can contact either the Child Care Network or their licensor for more information. The Child Care Network is planning a program that will address the new Day Care Center regulations in a special training session for center staff in April.

Law Requiring the Posting of OCFS Inspection Histories A new law became effective January 1, 2015. Social Services Law was amended this past legislative session to require that all child day care programs post and maintain in a prominent place, a notice containing the results of the most recent OCFS inspection history.

Call the Child Care Network with all your early childhood questions, 798-7972.

Beginning in January 2015, OCFS will mail the required posting, as a separate document, in the envelope with its inspection letter. The inspection history report ONLY should be posted. The inspection letter should not be posted as it may contain confidential information.

Out with the Old, In with the New Forms With changes in regulations come changes in forms. OCFS has updated many of the forms required for child care. Old forms should not be used. Updated forms can be found on the website at: http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/ documents/docsChildCare.asp

number (OCFS-LDSS 7021) remains the same but has a new revision date. The revision and replacement of this form does not require that family-based providers with approved HCPs need to replace them with this new version. They may continue to use approved plans. Going forward, however, appliA revised Health Care Plan (HCP) for Family cants should use the revised form. and Group Family Day Care programs is post- The Child Care Network carries a supply of Blue ed on the OCFS website. It will take the place of Cards and Child Medical forms needed for enrolthe former family/group family HCP . The form ling a child in a program.

OCFS Funded First Aid & CPR Classes The National Safety Council is the new OCFS contracted training provider for First Aid/CPR. The National Safety Council will provide this training at no cost to registered/licensed child care providers and staff thanks to funding from OCFS. Please check the website for more information as it becomes available. Go to http:// www.safetycouncilny.com/ EmergencyCareInstitute.html January, February, March 2015

The OCFS contract with the American Red Cross to provide First Aid/CPR training opportunities to child care providers has ended. However, the Red Cross training in First Aid and CPR will continue to be accepted as meeting the regulatory requirement. Educational Incentive Program (EIP) funds can be used for Red Cross classes.

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Southern Adirondack Child Care Network Phone: 518-798-7972 800-807-3224 Fax: 518-812-0799 9:00-4:00 Monday-Friday

“Strengthening the quality of children’s early care and learning.” WE’RE ON THE WEB & FACEBOOK! SACCN.ORG F A C E B O O K . C OM / SOUTHERNADIRONDACKCHIL D C A R E N E T W OR K

Winter Safety: Snow Removal Winter weather brings a variety of hazards including treacherous driving conditions, extreme cold, snow accumulation and drifting. The build-up of snow or ice around buildings can interfere with safe passage from a building, as well as compromise the function of mechanical equipment. Some areas to focus on are: Exits, Pathways and Safe Areas: Snow and ice should not obstruct any exits from buildings; this includes the pathways from emergency exits to the public way. It should be removed from building steps, the areas around exits, and routes of travel from exits to the meeting place. Keeping the meeting place clear of snow is essential to provide for a safe waiting area when emergency response vehicles arrive. Snow and ice removal should include clearing all areas that are in the site evacuation plan. Vents, Utilities and Mechanical Equipment: Keeping vents to mechanical equipment clear of snow and ice accumulation is an additional safety concern. When clearing snow from walkways and meeting places, it is important to consider where the snow will be deposited. Piling snow against buildings can obstruct or damage vents for boilers, furnaces, hot water tanks, and clothes dryers which can cause the appliance to not operate properly or even shut down completely. If the unit operates improperly, it could emit poisonous carbon monoxide gas. Utility equipment such as gas meters and electrical service should also be kept clear and accessible to avoid natural gas seeping back into the building. Gently clear away snow from the meter using a plastic shovel or broom.

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